GAME BREAKDOWN
KEY MATCHUP: N.C. State, led by quarterback Ryan Finley, is ninth in the country in passing yardage per game, with 342.3 yards per game. BC’s defense, which can look sketchy at times, is a respectable 26th in the nation in pass efficiency defense, yielding 108.6 yards per game through the air. This will be a test.
DRAFT SLANT
–DE Zach Allen continues to impress the pro scouts. NFLDraftScout.com has him rated as the No. 2 defensive end in the country. Last season, with All-American Harold Landry hurt for most of the year, Allen led the charge for the Eagles up front. He is an athletic end who was able to fly through the air to pick up a fumble in the loss at Purdue. He had two sacks and four tackles for loss in the win over Temple, giving him 15.5 career sacks — tied for ninth in program history — and 33 tackles for loss — tied for sixth.
ROSTER REPORT:
–RB AJ Dillon rolled his left ankle in the win over Temple and his status was uncertain as of early in the week. Dillon’s 2,241 career yards rushing are already 12th on BC’s all-time list — and he’s only a sophomore.
–WR Jeff Smith, a former quarterback who threw his sixth career touchdown pass in the latest win, left the game in the second half with an upper-body injury.
–CB Hamp Cheevers had his third interception of the season and the fifth of his college career last week.
–WR/RET Michael Walker had 77 yards in returns last week, giving him 2,102 in his career, second on BC’s all-time list.
–TE Tommy Sweeney caught his 10th touchdown pass last week.
–BC’s 216 points are the program’s most through the first five games of any season.
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